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HAWAII COUNTY CHARTER COMMISSION Transcript of Public Hearing of July 21, 1999 Pahoa Community Center Pahoa, Hawaii Members R. Higashi, E. Alonzo, S. Irvine, G. Martin, Gary Yoshiyama, Present: C. Yuen, Charter Commission Counsel Absent: K. Balog, S.Bess, M. Herkes, D. Kurozawa, J. Ray, J. Santangelo, CALL TO ORDER Temporary Chairman Roland Higashi called the meeting to order at 5:09 p.m. INTRODUCTION OF CHARTER COMMISSION MEMBERS HIGASHI: This meeting will come to order. This is a special meeting of the Charter Commission. It is Wednesday, July 21st. The time is 5:09 p.m. I would like to introduce our Charter Commissioners: Sue Irvine, George Martin, Gary Yoshiyama and Eddie Alonzo and I'm Roland Higashi. I'm temporary chair. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS HIGASHI: On our agenda today, this is a special meeting for public input on the Charter so without further ado, we'll proceed. First, I'd like to call on Norm Olesen. For the record, if you'll state your name. PUBLIC TESTIMONY OLESEN: My name is Norman Olesen. From '92 to '96, I was Deputy Planning Director of the County of Hawaii and from '96 on, I was Executive Assistant to the Mayor. I give you that kind of background because I have several recommendations I'd like the Charter Commission to consider. The first one is with regard to the Planning Department. That the administerial function of plan approval and subdivision, quite frankly, does not belong in the Planning Department. All it does is defer or subtract from the effectiveness of the Planning Department. These things are established. They can be much more efficiently done in the Building Department. When people come in for a permit, you have a one-stop permitting operation. Right now, it is governed by Charter that it has 1